Lucas 21

1 La ofrenda de la viuda
Mientras Jesús estaba en el templo, observó a los ricos que depositaban sus ofrendas en la caja de las ofrendas.

2 Luego pasó una viuda pobre y echó dos monedas pequeñas.

3 —dijo Jesús—,

4 Pues ellos dieron una mínima parte de lo que les sobraba, pero ella, con lo pobre que es, dio todo lo que tenía».

5 Jesús predice eventos futuros
Algunos de sus discípulos comenzaron a hablar acerca del majestuoso trabajo hecho en piedra del templo, y de las decoraciones conmemorativas que adornaban las paredes. Pero Jesús les dijo:

6 «Viene el tiempo cuando todo esto será demolido por completo. ¡No quedará ni una sola piedra sobre otra!».

7 —Maestro —le preguntaron—, ¿cuándo sucederá todo eso? ¿Qué señal nos indicará que esas cosas están por ocurrir?

8 Él les contestó:

9 Cuando oigan de guerras y de levantamientos, no se dejen llevar por el pánico. Es verdad, esas cosas deben suceder primero, pero el fin no vendrá inmediatamente después.

10 Luego agregó:

11 Habrá grandes terremotos, hambres y plagas en muchos países, y sucederán cosas aterradoras y grandes señales milagrosas del cielo.

12 »Pero antes de que ocurra todo eso, habrá un tiempo de gran persecución. Los arrastrarán a las sinagogas y a las prisiones, y serán sometidos a juicio ante reyes y gobernantes, todo por ser mis seguidores;

13 pero esa será una oportunidad para que ustedes les hablen de mí.

14 Así que no se preocupen de antemano por cómo contestarán los cargos en su contra,

15 porque yo les daré las palabras apropiadas y tal sabiduría que ninguno de sus adversarios podrá responderles o refutarlos.

16 Aun sus seres más cercanos —padres, hermanos, familiares y amigos— los traicionarán. Incluso a algunos de ustedes los matarán.

17 Todos los odiarán por ser mis seguidores,

18 pero ni un solo cabello de su cabeza perecerá.

19 Al mantenerse firmes, ganarán su alma.

20 »Cuando vean a Jerusalén rodeada de ejércitos, entonces sabrán que ha llegado el tiempo de su destrucción.

21 Entonces los que estén en Judea huyan a las colinas. Los que estén en Jerusalén deben salir, y los que estén en el campo no deben volver a la ciudad.

22 Pues serán días de la venganza de Dios, y las palabras proféticas de las Escrituras se cumplirán.

23 ¡Qué terribles serán esos días para las mujeres embarazadas y para las madres que amamantan! Pues habrá desastre en la tierra y gran enojo contra este pueblo.

24 Los matarán a espada o serán enviados cautivos a todas las naciones del mundo. Y Jerusalén será pisoteada por los gentiles
hasta que el tiempo de los gentiles llegue a su fin.

25 .

26 La gente quedará aterrada de lo que verá venir sobre la tierra, porque los poderes de los cielos serán sacudidos.

27 Entonces todos verán al Hijo del Hombre
venir en una nube con poder y gran gloria.

28 Por lo tanto, cuando todas estas cosas comiencen a suceder, pónganse de pie y levanten la mirada, ¡porque la salvación está cerca!

29 Luego les dio la siguiente ilustración:

30 Cuando brotan las hojas, sin que nadie les diga ustedes saben que el verano se acerca.

31 De la misma manera, cuando vean que suceden todas estas cosas, sabrán que el reino de Dios está cerca.

32 Les digo la verdad, no pasará esta generación hasta que hayan sucedido todas estas cosas.

33 El cielo y la tierra desaparecerán, pero mis palabras no desaparecerán jamás.

34 »¡Tengan cuidado! No dejen que su corazón se entorpezca con parrandas y borracheras, ni por las preocupaciones de esta vida. No dejen que ese día los agarre desprevenidos,

35 como una trampa. Pues ese día vendrá sobre cada ser viviente de la tierra.

36 Manténganse siempre alerta. Y oren para que sean suficientemente fuertes para escapar de los horrores que vendrán y para presentarse delante del Hijo del Hombre.

37 Cada día Jesús iba al templo a enseñar y cada tarde regresaba a pasar la noche en el monte de los Olivos.

38 Todas las mañanas, desde muy temprano, las multitudes se reunían en el templo para escucharlo.

Lucas 21 Commentary

Chapter 21

Christ commends a poor widow. (1-4) His prophecy. (5-28) Christ exhorts to watchfulness. (29-38)

Verses 1-4 From the offering of this poor widow, learn that what we rightly give for the relief of the poor, and the support of God's worship, is given unto God; and our Saviour sees with pleasure whatever we have in our hearts to give for the relief of his members, or for his service. Blessed Lord! the poorest of thy servants have two mites, they have a soul and a body; persuade and enable us to offer both unto thee; how happy shall we be in thine accepting of them!

Verses 5-28 With much curiosity those about Christ ask as to the time when the great desolation should be. He answers with clearness and fulness, as far as was necessary to teach them their duty; for all knowledge is desirable as far as it is in order to practice. Though spiritual judgements are the most common in gospel times, yet God makes use of temporal judgments also. Christ tells them what hard things they should suffer for his name's sake, and encourages them to bear up under their trials, and to go on in their work, notwithstanding the opposition they would meet with. God will stand by you, and own you, and assist you. This was remarkably fulfilled after the pouring out of the Spirit, by whom Christ gave his disciples wisdom and utterance. Though we may be losers for Christ, we shall not, we cannot be losers by him, in the end. It is our duty and interest at all times, especially in perilous, trying times, to secure the safety of our own souls. It is by Christian patience we keep possession of our own souls, and keep out all those impressions which would put us out of temper. We may view the prophecy before us much as those Old Testament prophecies, which, together with their great object, embrace, or glance at some nearer object of importance to the church. Having given an idea of the times for about thirty-eight years next to come, Christ shows what all those things would end in, namely, the destruction of Jerusalem, and the utter dispersion of the Jewish nation; which would be a type and figure of Christ's second coming. The scattered Jews around us preach the truth of Christianity; and prove, that though heaven and earth shall pass away, the words of Jesus shall not pass away. They also remind us to pray for those times when neither the real, nor the spiritual Jerusalem, shall any longer be trodden down by the Gentiles, and when both Jews and Gentiles shall be turned to the Lord. When Christ came to destroy the Jews, he came to redeem the Christians that were persecuted and oppressed by them; and then had the churches rest. When he comes to judge the world, he will redeem all that are his from their troubles. So fully did the Divine judgements come upon the Jews, that their city is set as an example before us, to show that sins will not pass unpunished; and that the terrors of the Lord, and his threatenings against impenitent sinners, will all come to pass, even as his word was true, and his wrath great upon Jerusalem.

Verses 29-38 Christ tells his disciples to observe the signs of the times, which they might judge by. He charges them to look upon the ruin of the Jewish nation as near. Yet this race and family of Abraham shall not be rooted out; it shall survive as a nation, and be found as prophesied, when the Son of man shall be revealed. He cautions them against being secure and sensual. This command is given to all Christ's disciples, Take heed to yourselves, that ye be not overpowered by temptations, nor betrayed by your own corruptions. We cannot be safe, if we are carnally secure. Our danger is, lest the day of death and of judgment should come upon us when we are not prepared. Lest, when we are called to meet our Lord, that be the furthest from our thoughts, which ought to be nearest our hearts. For so it will come upon the most of men, who dwell upon the earth, and mind earthly things only, and have no converse with heaven. It will be a terror and a destruction to them. Here see what should be our aim, that we may be accounted worthy to escape all those things; that when the judgements of God are abroad, we may not be in the common calamity, or it may not be that to us which it is to others. Do you ask how you may be found worthy to stand before Christ at that day? Those who never yet sought Christ, let them now go unto him; those who never yet were humbled for their sins, let them now begin; those who have already begun, let them go forward and be kept humbled. Watch therefore, and pray always. Watch against sin; watch in every duty, and make the most of every opportunity to do good. Pray always: those shall be accounted worthy to live a life of praise in the other world, who live a life of prayer in this world. May we begin, employ, and conclude each day attending to Christ's word, obeying his precepts, and following his example, that whenever he comes we may be found watching.